Shimano & Plastic

[Rangerjoe]

Can somebody tell why when Shimano comes out with a plastic reel, everyone falls all over them self proclaiming how wonderful it is. If any other manufacturer made reels with as much plastic as the new E Curado people would call them cheap.

Now before the Shimano posse comes after me, I currently own a number of Shimano reels that have aluminum side plates (Curado D and the Cronarch .

[roadwarrior]

Seems like pretty good reviews from Bass Pro Shops website:

http://reviews.basspro.com/2010/102799/reviews.htm

[burleytog]

Can somebody tell why when Shimano comes out with a plastic reel, everyone falls all over them self proclaiming how wonderful it is. If any other manufacturer made reels with as much plastic as the new E Curado people would call them cheap.

 

What does a plastic palming plate have to do with the quality of a reel?

[Rangerjoe]

RW that does not answer the question. Still want to know why Shimano is the only manufacturer that can get away with that much plastic.

[roadwarrior]

Aluminum frame, graphite sideplates...is that what you mean by "plastic"?

http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/products/reels/low_profile_baitcasting/Curado_E.html

[Rangerjoe]

Its not just the palming side plate, but also the cranking side plate. I believe that the cranking side is important.

[tyrius.]

Its not just the palming side plate, but also the cranking side plate. I believe that the cranking side is important.

Why would it be important?  What stress is the side plate under?

I don't see any issue with non-metal side plates.  The frame should be metal, but the side plates are just covers.  So who cares about them?

[tyrius.]

Can somebody tell why when Shimano comes out with a plastic reel, everyone falls all over them self proclaiming how wonderful it is.

Could you also tell me why you call the curado a plastic reel when it is mainly constructed from aluminum, which is a metal?

[Rangerjoe]

Yes graphite. Many years ago I had the GT2000, which I believe was all graphite, and under a load the gears would just lock up. Now those were not inexpensive reels in the '80's, but I have stayed away from Graphite (plastic) reels ever since.

[tyrius.]

Yes graphite. Many years ago I had the GT2000, which I believe was all graphite, and under a load the gears would just lock up. Now those were not inexpensive reels in the '80's, but I have stayed away from Graphite (plastic) reels ever since.

That could probably still happen with today's graphite framed reels.  The Shimano Curado is not one of those though.

Here's some more info on the new Curado from Bantam1 (a shimano employee).

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1224097297/all

[Rangerjoe]

Thanks Tyrius, pictures are great.

[OnthePotomac]

I clean my own reels and it is interesting to note that the new Curados disassemble just like the Citicas. In addition, the Curado E7 drive gear and pinion will also fit the Citica. The same for the previous models. I put the Curado 200DHSV 7:1 gears in my two Citica 200D's to make them 7:1 reels.

Their aluminum frame and graphite side plates work because I have never had a drive gear, nor pinion problem in my older Curados.

[Bayou Bass]

Who cares what the reel is made of as long as it holds up.  I have landed 8 redfish over 20lbs with this reel and it still runs as smooth as it did the day I purchased it.  If you have never battled these brutes they make a bucket mouth look like a crappie.  Not to mention the hundreds of speckled trout, bass, flounder, and a 34lb black drum.  If that is not a testament to the reel's quality I do not know what is!!

[The Rooster]

I've always wondered about this.....

Every baitcaster I've ever seen, whether it had an aluminum frame or not, has the spool shaft supported with the bearings placed in the sideplates. At no point does it touch the frame. But when hauling back on a big fish there is sometimes a serious pull on the line.....connected to the spool.....riding on a shaft that is solely supported by graphite sideplates. And yet it never gives.

Even if a reel has an aluminum frame for the gears to be connected to, the main gear rides on a shaft that only has one end supported by that metal frame while the other end of that shaft rests inside of a clutch bearing that's supported by the graphite sideplate.

My point is.....graphite can't be all that bad.

But having said that, I now will not buy a reel that doesn't have at least an aluminum frame. I dunno.....something in me just won't let me do it anymore. Never had a problem at all with the single reel I purchased that did have a graphite frame. I do notice that it doesn't cast nearly as smoothly as the rest of my reels but I attributed that to a lack of spool shaft bearings and having a thick heavy aluminum spool that's not perforated like today's reels have (early 90's model Quantum EX250, only $45 retail in 96 when I got it). It only had two bearings in the whole reel and they're not on the spool shaft. Not really for sure what the problem is there, that's just my assumption on it.

All I know is that the aluminum framed reels do seam to cast better (from using my old Quantum and casting my buddy's gear also compared to my aluminum framed Extremes), though technically I can't see a single mechanical reason that would be true other than having spool shaft bearings and perforated spools.  I never tried one that was all graphite with good spool bearings so as far as I know they might be just as good at casting.

But as far as strength of the reel is concerned, I think graphite will hold up very well in most cases for sideplates.....and of course aluminum sideplates would only make it better so I don't knock those either.....except when it's cold outside and then they're pretty hard to keep in your palm. YOW!!! That can be COLD!!!  

[Muddy]

I wish I could find the thread from 3 years ago, when I was first learning how to bait cast. I bought 2 Cabelas Prodigys and was told , by a couple of the " it doesn't matter when She Mano Does it Crew" that I should have bought a She Mano because the Cabelas Prodigy has graphite side plates, I also do not care what something is made of, so long as it works and stands up. Just another example of She Mano double standards

[roadwarrior]

I wish I could find the thread from 3 years ago, when I was first learning how to bait cast. I bought 2 Cabelas Prodigys and was told , by a couple of the " it doesn't matter when She Mano Does it Crew" that I should have bought a She Mano because the Cabelas Prodigy has graphite side plates, I also do not care what something is made of, so long as it works and stands up. Just another example of She Mano double standards

Hey Kemosabi!

I thought we had a treaty: all posse members, stay off other's turf.

[Muddy]

Then why isn't this in the SHEMANO Support Section, You guys jumped over the fence first

Please to the new folks sround here; This is not to be taken seriously, we have a long standing, tounge in cheek feud between the Shemano Posse and the Flooger Mooks.

[Catt]

The 3 advantages of carbon fiber (graphite) composites are:

High specific stiffness (stiffness divided by density)

High specific strength (strength divided by density)

Extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)

Carbon fiber composites are widely used for lightweight structures that need to carry extremely high loads.

Motorcycle components (skid plates, rock guards)

Aircraft structure

Satellite antenna structures

Racecar chassis

Bass boats

Fishing rods

Golf club shafts

Baseball bats

[Muddy]

I would bet most side plates are graphite anyway,